Game: SpeedX 3D: Hyper Edition
Console: Nintendo 3DS
Developer: Gamelion Studios
Release Date: 9th May 2013
On a recent eShop spree I picked up SpeedX 3D as it was under the genre of racing and I had visions of Wipeout and F-Zero in my head. Racing wasn't quite the correct word for the gameplay however, as players strive to avoid collisions with blocks and other obstacles whilst collecting power-ups. The game continues until players hit an obstacle without any shield power-ups left, and the overall aim seems to be simply achieving as high of a score as possible.
Control-wise the game is simple, using the control-pad to move left or right on the tiled grid which can take the form of a tube (both internal and external), and a flat surface, and changes between these forms at various points in the game. Hyper mode can be entered by pressing the B or X button, and this speeds up gameplay as well as earning players a 1.5x score bonus as a reward for dealing with the added difficulty.
I had hoped that this particular title might show off some of the best 3D effects that the console has to offer, but switching between 3D and 2D seemed to have little effect, even at the maximum depth. The game is fairly simple graphically, reminding me most of Audiosurf for PC which also features a similar music/travel concept. There are 5 tracks to choose between in the game, all of which are from different electronic styles though some feel too downbeat for gameplay and others a little too fast paced initially.
Overall SpeedX 3D: Hyper Edition is an interesting experience which never really gets past the initial concept. Movement without Hyper Mode is generally too slow, and moving with Hyper Mode engaged shortens turns significantly. Using a combination of Hyper and Normal play mode it's possible to get fairly far in terms of distance, but nothing changes in the game world as the only aim is to set a high score. With very little substance the game seems to be best in short bursts, and could have been a whole lot more enjoyable with goals, rewards and upgrades.
Rating: 60/100
Grade: D
Game: Heart Beaten
Console: Nintendo 3DS
Developer: Springloaded
Release Date: 16th April 2015
My love for minigame collections is well documented on this blog; the Warioware series, Rhythm Heaven and other games have managed to impress and entertain me, creating a soft spot for these short bursts of fun. Heart Beaten is a minigame collection released 10 days ago on the eShop, with 15 minigames based on the concept of breaking someone's heart. The loose story of the game is as follows; the unnamed main character meets a girl, who doesn't share his feelings for her, a number rounds of a minigame are then played where his heart is crushed/beaten/shot etc., until players lose. He then meets a new girl and the process repeats until the 15th minigame where his feelings are finally requited.
The minigames vary between using the touchscreen and button controls, depending on what needs to be done in each. While the minigames themselves are pretty varied so are their quality and difficulty; I had fun with around half of the games, and scored enough points for a gold ranking on around half also (though not necessarily the same games as I had fun with). Some require players to have expert reflexes with pressing the correct button (a feat I find difficult as the A,B,X, and Y buttons are completely swapped from the Dreamcast, which I grew up with), and others require blind luck or slight exploits of the game's programming to do well in.
Graphically the game is presented in a retro pixel style which is visually pleasing and probably the best choice for a game of this type. It's generally easy to figure out what needs to be done in the minigames even if actually doing it proves to be difficult. The music that accompanies gameplay is interesting enough and fits with the retro style. Progression through the game is achieved by performing well in games, thus scoring Sorrow Points, enough of which will unlock the next minigame. There are Bronze, Silver and Gold scores for each game, though it's possible to perform incredibly well in a single game and unlock many other games, without doing particularly well in others.
Overall Heart Beaten isn't a game that'll hold your attention for long; completing it shouldn't take more than an hour and unless you're into 100%'ing games, there's no reason to go back and beat your high scores once every game is unlocked. While there's good variety, it comes at the cost of quality and when your game has just 15 minigames, there's not much room for error when compared to Warioware games with 150+ microgames. Playing through the game, I felt somewhat guilty for trashing the same guy's heart over and over, especially with the enthusiastic encouragement from the game (Finish Him! Make Him Cry! etc. pop up between each level on the minigames). It's a good concept with too little substance and true replayability.
Rating: 61/100
Grade: D
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